Coronavirus UK: What time is Boris Johnson's press conference and what is he expected to say?

26 January 2021, 14:02 | Updated: 26 January 2021, 16:20

Boris Johnson will address the nation at 5pm today
Boris Johnson will address the nation at 5pm today. Picture: PA

By Asher McShane

Boris Johnson will lead a coronavirus news conference today after the ONS confirmed the UK has seen over 100,000 deaths with Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic.

The Prime Minister will be joined by England's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty, and NHS England boss Sir Simon Stevens.

The press conference will begin today at 5pm, hours after ONS data revealed the UK's death toll from Covid-19 has surpassed 100,000.

The total number of deaths in the UK involving COVID-19 over the whole pandemic up until January 15 is 103,704, the ONS said today.

ONS data is based on death certificates.

Government figures based on deaths within 28 days of a positive test stands slightly lower, at 98,531.

The UK is behind only the US, Brazil, India and Mexico for overall death toll. The US currently has 421,129 deaths, Brazil 217,664, India 153,587, Mexico 150,273 according to Johns Hopkins University figures.

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The Prime Minister is likely to reiterate messaging about the importance of adhering to lockdown rules as the death toll rises. Earlier this week the government released a hard-hitting advertising campaign aimed at making people stick to the rules.

It is also likely that the Prime Minister will be pressed on plans to put all UK arrivals into quarantine for 10 days, with people being asked to foot the bill of over £1,000. However it is not expected that full details of these proposals will be announced at today's press conference.

Ministers are expected to approve the plans to quarantine people who arrive from high-risk countries at a meeting this evening with details not expected to emerge fully until Wednesday.